Questions of ethnicity, migration, and crime have also polarized intellectuals in both Europe and the United States. A crucial issue is the criminal involvement of minorities and immigrants relative to the larger society; the statistics indicate criminal justice activities rather than the criminal involvement of individuals. The data reveal a serious overrepresentation of minorities and foreigners in arrest statistics, convictions, and prisons in both Europe and the United States. However, the authors emphasize the importance of recognizing the multifaceted and complex nature of phenomena included under the general terms of minorities and immigrants. They also note that the categories in formal statistics ignore the differences between and within each group. However, the current knowledge suggests that the extent and nature of criminality of migrants and ethnic minority groups is shaped by the interaction between characteristics of the migrants and those of the host country, placed in a global context. Most immigrants seek to better themselves through legal ways, although professional international criminals exist. Research and theory also distinguishes between first-generation and second-and-later-generation immigrants. Overall, ethnicity, race, citizenship, or national origin are of only secondary importance in understanding newly evolved patterns of criminality. Instead, a broader theoretical framework is needed that focuses on macrolevel economic, political, and social processes that shape newly emerging crime forms such as transnational drug production and distribution, international terrorism, transnational organized crime, electronic international fraud, and trafficking in people. Notes and 21 references